Peter's Polar Parlor, 3345 Milton Ave., Fairmount. Open since 1969, this order-at-the-window storefront draws in an average of 1500 customers on warm days. Peter's also offers lactose and sugar-free options, along with a variety of old-fashioned custards. The store sells 12 soft-serve flavors, eight hard-serve flavors, and six flavored wine ice creams. It complements Carol's Polar Parlor, less than half a mile up the street, which serves primarily hard ice creams.

COOKING IT UP

Peter Haun, owner

WHAT IT IS

Spaghetti Sundae

The concoction is like a strawberry sundae on mega steroids, Haun said. First, he covers the bottom of a waffle bowl with whipped cream, made fresh on-the-spot from heavy cream mixed with sugar and vanilla. Then, he pushes vanilla ice cream through a plastic pasta maker. The ice cream comes out in thin, stringy strands - resembling spaghetti - on top of the whipped cream. For the spaghetti's tomato sauce, Haun pours on fresh pureed strawberries, and sprinkles on shredded coconut to represent the parmesan cheese. For the meatballs, he adds three Whoppers, and finishes it off with a dab of whipped cream. One sundae sells for $5.35.

STORIES AND SECRETS

When Peter Haun purchased the shop in 2002, he was determined to experiment with new, "off the chart" creations. Growing up in Germany, he recalls that European ice cream shops were filled with offbeat combinations -- like pizza ice cream and pasta ice cream. He wanted to bring some of that intrigue to the menu at Peter's Polar Parlor. "I put the spaghetti sundae on the menu to draw people in," he said. "It's something nobody knows. People are reluctant to try it, but those who have had it keep buying it."

THE TASTE

The pasta press gives the ice cream a fluffy, light taste, and the coconut adds a crunch to each bite. The whipped cream at the base of the sundae is a cold, creamy surprise.

YOUR SUGGESTIONS

CNY Signatures is Weekend’s guide to the special treats and iconic eats of Central New York. If you know of an unusual or nearly one-of-a-kind dish that makes the place that serves it a destination, contact Don Cazentre at dcazentre@syracuse.com or 470-2297.